At the present day, a certain type of tag is attached to most articles in order to realize a checkout system for performing checkout of articles in a commercial marketplace. In particular, a barcode tag is widely used.
Checkout of an article (article with barcode) to which a barcode is attached is performed by reading out the barcode using a barcode scanner. On the other hand, checkout of an article (article without barcode) to which a barcode is not attached is performed by a user selecting article name, quantity, and the like displayed on a touch screen.
However, in a self-checkout system which allows a customer to execute a self-checkout, the abovementioned checkout method for performing checkout of an article without barcode may be abused in some cases. For example, improper operation of falsifying an expensive article with barcode, such as steak as a low-price article without barcode, such as banana is performed and, in this case, a shop side suffers a loss. In the following, two types of self-checkout systems will be described as a checkout system in which a countermeasure for such improper operation has been taken.
As a first self-checkout system, a self-checkout system provided with article measurement sections both at a portion near a barcode scanner and at an article bag station will be described. FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a first conventional self-checkout system. The first self-checkout system includes a self-checkout (system) control unit 101, an article basket table 2, an article bag station 3, and an article database 6. The self-checkout system control unit 101 includes an LCD touch screen 11, a barcode scanner 12, a settlement section 13, a control section 114, a communication section 15, an article measurement section 21, and an article temporary-placing table 22. The article bag station 3 is provided with an article bag measurement section 4.
The article basket table 2 is a location where articles put in an article basket before checkout are placed. The article bag station 3 is a location where an article bag is hung with the mouth thereof opened. A customer puts articles after checkout in the article bag at the article bag station 3. The LCD touch screen 11 displays information to a user, as well as receives input operation from a user. The barcode scanner 12 irradiates an article with a laser scanning beam to thereby read out a barcode attached to the article. The settlement section 13 makes deposits and withdrawals of bills. The control section 114 controls respective sections provided in the self-checkout system. The control section 15 performs communication with the article database 6 or external terminal for shop assistant.
The article bag measurement section 4 measures the weight of an article bag containing articles at the article bag station 3. The article temporary-placing table 22 is a table for a user to temporarily place articles without barcode according to an instruction displayed on the LCD touch screen 11. The article measurement section 21 measures the weight of articles placed on the article temporary-placing table 22.
In the case where checkout of articles with barcode is performed, the control section 114 causes the barcode scanner 12 to read out a barcode attached to an article and acquires, from the article database 6, article information corresponding to the barcode information. The article information stored in the article database 6 includes weight of article in addition to article type, price, and the like. When a user puts the article in the article bag at the article bag station 3, the article bag measurement section 4 measures the weight of the entire article bag. Then, the control section 114 calculates an increase in the weight measured by the article bag measurement section 4 and compares a registration value of the weight of article acquired from the article database 6 and measurement value of the increase in the weight acquired from the article bag measurement section 4. When a difference between the two values falls within a predetermined range, the control section 114 performs registration of article sales data. When the difference exceeds a predetermined range, the control section 114 determines that improper operation is made.
In the case where checkout of articles without barcode is performed, a user selects an article without barcode on the LCD touch screen 11. Then, the control section 114 displays, on the LCD touch screen 11, an instruction for forcing the user to place the selected articles on the article temporary-placing table 22. When the user places the article on the article temporary-placing table 22, the article measurement section 21 measures the weight of the article. When the user puts the article in the article bag at the article bag station 3, the article bag measurement section 4 measures the weight of the entire article bag. Then, the control section 114 calculates an increase in the weight measured by the article bag measurement section 4 and compares a measurement value of the weight of article acquired from the article measurement section 21 and measurement value of the increase in the weight acquired from the article bag measurement section 4. When a difference between the two values falls within a predetermined range, the control section 114 performs registration of article sales data. When the difference exceeds a predetermined range, the control section 114 determines that improper operation is made.
Next, as a second self-checkout system, a self-checkout system provided with article measurement sections both at an article basket table and an article bag station will be described.
FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a second conventional self-checkout system. In FIG. 19, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 18 denote the same or corresponding parts as those in FIG. 18, and the descriptions thereof will be omitted here.
In FIG. 19, as compared with FIG. 18, a self-checkout system control unit 201 and an article database 206 are provided in place of the self-checkout system control unit 101 and article database 6, respectively. Further, as compared with the self-checkout system control unit 101, the self-checkout system control unit 201 includes a control section 214 in place of the control section 114, additionally includes an article basket measurement section 5, and does not require the article measurement section 21 and article temporary-placing table 22. The article basket table 2 includes the article basket measurement section 5.
The operation of performing checkout of an article with barcode is the same as that in the above first self-checkout system.
The article basket measurement section 5 measures the article basket containing articles which is placed thereon. When a user performs checkout operation of an article without barcode on the LCD touch screen 11 and puts the article in the article bag at the article bag station 3, the article bag measurement section 4 measures the weight of the entire article bag. Then, the control section 214 calculates an increase in the weight measured by the article bag measurement section 4, calculates a decrease in the weight measured by the article basket measurement section 5 and compares the decrease in the weight acquired from the article basket measurement section 5 and increase in the weight acquired from the article bag measurement section 4. When a difference between the two values falls within a predetermined range, the control section 214 performs registration of article sales data. When the difference exceeds the predetermined range, the control section 214 determines that improper operation is made.
There is known, e.g., the following Patent Document 1 as a conventional art related to the present invention. A self-scanning system apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 compares the weight of articles included in article information acquired by self-scanning operation and weight measured by measuring apparatuses provided on both the upstream and downstream sides of an article conveyer to thereby confirm the identity of each article.    Patent Document 1: Jpn. Pat. Appln. Laid-Open Publication No. 05-266322